Democratic Individuality
Published on 31. August 1990
Book
Paperback/Softback
528 pages
978-0-521-38709-5 (ISBN)
Description
This ambitious and sweeping book presents a powerful argument against moral relativism and in favor of the objectivity of a theory of democratic individuality. Unlike much recent work in this field, the book does not simply adumbrate such a view. Rather, it develops the parallels between various versions of scientific and moral realism, and then reinterprets the history and internal logic of democratic theory, maintaining, for example, that the abolition of slavery represents genuine moral progress. The book also recasts the clashes between Marxist and Weberian, radical and liberal sociologies in the light of these moral claims, and sketches the institutions of a radical democracy.
Reviews / Votes
"The book presents an acute, historically informed, and unusually optimistic argument about moral progress. Striking in its intellectual breadth, [it] makes a significant contribution to the case that the social sciences are, at bottom, moral sciences." Joshua Cohen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology "Democratic Individuality is a treasure chest, a book destined to play an important role." Michael Goldfield, The American Political Science ReviewMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 31 mm
Weight
848 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-521-38709-5 (9780521387095)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Alan Gilbert
Democratic Individuality
Book
08/1990
Cambridge University Press
€68.09
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Previous edition
Alan Gilbert
Democratic Individuality
Book
08/1990
Cambridge University Press
€68.09
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Content
Introduction; Part I. The Theory of Freedom and Individuality: Slavery, Mutual Recognition and Modern Egalitarianism: 1. Empiricism, neokantianism and realism in science and ethics; 2. The capacity for moral personality and the ambiguities of liberalism; 3. A common good and justice in war; 4. Neokantianism and moral realism; Part II. Reltrieval of Democracy and Individuality in Marxian Theory: 5. Historical materialism and justice; 6. Two kinds of historical progress; 7. The Aristotelian lineage of Marx's eudaimonism; 8. Radical democracy and individuality; Part III. Liberalism, Marxism and Moral Objectivity: 9. The Protestant Ethic and Marxian theory; 10. Nationalism and the dangers of predatory 'liberalism'; 11. Status and politics; 12. Bureaucracy, socialism and a common good; 13. Levels of Et disagreement and the controversy between neokantianism and realism; Bibliography.